The five fishermen from Corentyne, Berbice who were displaced after their fishing vessel sank in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday evening are alive and well.
The fishermen, following a storm, were tossed into the ocean and remained in the water. Two were rescued on Sunday morning, while the other three were rescued on Monday.
The men are: Rondell Vanderstoop, 27, and Nuris Dundas 18, two brothers of Epsom Village Corentyne; Andrew Beaton, 22, and Steve McBean 20, of the same village; and Rodwell Captain, 21, of Brighton Village.
Reports are that the men left Nickerie, Suriname on Saturday for a 14-day fishing expedition, but by 21:00h the same evening, they were hit by the storm.
According to reports, the rough waters caused the boat to split and then submerge. They were all tossed into the water, and initially kept contact by periodically calling on each other.
Following the mishap, Beaton and Captain were picked up in the ocean by another fisherman, but it took almost two days before they found the other three.
Mc Bean’s wife, Kerry Mayers, 19, said she was able to speak with her husband Steve McBean, 22, after he was rescued. She said initial reports were that the boat sank and two were rescued.
She explained that she was told three crew members were missing, and that information did not change until Monday morning.
“The boy said that the Captain called him outside, and when he went the boat was already filled with water, and a wave just come and the two of them grab lifejackets and then they get separated in the water, and eventually they get back together and jump on the ice box; and then they separate again, but they did not reach up with the others until today [Monday].”
The men were eventually rescued at about 08:30h on Sunday. On Monday morning, the same boat returned to sea in search of the three missing men.
Meanwhile, Leroy Vanderstoop said his 27-year-old brother Rondell was the captain of the fishing vessel.
Vanderstoop had been going to sea for more than a decade, while his brother Nuris has been a fisherman for two years. It was the first year at sea for the other three. The rescued men all returned to Guyana on Monday afternoon. (Andrew Carmichael)
